Katie's Hope

"I seem to have stolen the formula that will grant Immortal or demon this same immunity. I turned it over to Kris, and now the Dark One wants me dead-dead," Sasha said.

"You have it?" Tamer sat up with interest. "I've heard the rumors through the demons in my territory. It works?"

"It appears to work. Ully is still working with it to verify," Kris replied.

"You'll grant us access to it?"

Rhyn smiled mercilessly at Kris's uneasy look. He took in his predatory brothers, well aware they were as dangerous as any of the creatures he'd spent time in Hell with. He crossed his arms, interested to know Katie's sister was as special as she was and wondering if Kris had already claimed her.

She looked like Lilith, the woman Rhyn killed when he discovered she'd plotted with the Dark One to kill the Council. His reward had been being sent to Hell, for what his brothers hoped was eternity.

"In exchange for your assistance, yes," Kris said at last. "Sasha's enemies are here in the forest. I don't know how far the Dark One will go to get Sasha or his vial of blood back, but I imagine our time is short."

"And you want us to do what exactly?" Erik asked. "I'm content to feed Sasha to the Dark One piece by piece if that means we keep the peace." "As am I," Tamer seconded.

"Me, too," Kiki said.

"Seems practically unanimous," Sasha said, unaffected. "Except for you, Rhyn. Would you care to feed me to the Dark One in pieces?"

"I'd feed each one of you to the Dark One," Rhyn replied. "Starting with Kris."

Everyone chuckled but Kris, who levied a glare at him. He wasn't sure what they expected of him; he'd never been included in any Council meeting.

"You're no Andre, Kris," Sasha said.

Kris's eyes flared copper, then amber. "I have no intention of trying to be Andre. What I want is what Andre always tried to get us to do: to work together like the brothers we are."

"Andre lost that battle when Sasha defected and Rhyn went to Hell," Kiki stated. "We're not a team, Kris. We're barely allies."

"I don't answer to anyone," Tamer added. "I respected Andre, but now that he's gone, you're lucky I agreed to come at all. I don't need any of you, especially the headache Sasha is."